Attempts to Enhance Student Ownership of the Exam Preparation Process

1. Attempts to Enhance Student Ownership of the Exam Preparation Process Timothy McCaskey, Department of Science and Mathematics, Columbia College Chicago Question: How do online forums and pre-populated note sheets affect the way students prepare notes for their exams? Populations Students in Columbia College introductory mechanics courses, Physics for Filmmakers and Fundamentals of Physics I (survey N = 10-15 each section) are allowed to bring a note sheet to exams. In Fall 2013, students wrote their own notecards out and more commonly included things like graphs and diagrams, as this Filmmakers student did. Overarching questions 1.) In what ways do students use the allowed note space? 2.) What can this data tell us about what students see as important in the course? A freely written note sheet from Spring 2014. It’s all written out – and almost all equations! How and why the forum failed A Spring 2014 midterm note sheet, with typical additions Anonymous survey questions The forum task was to address: “What concept, idea, or mathematical procedure did you have trouble with on a previous homework or quiz?” Participation levels were low (about half the total students responded). There was very little crosstalk between students – except to stress how important the equations were and how to know which to use in a given problem. Though I replied to every student, my assurances that they’d see purely conceptual questions and non-numerical graphs made little difference. • I asked a set ofanonymous survey questions which the students turned in with their note sheets. The questions asked about their note sheet preparation process: • How did you decide what to write on your note sheet? • How was either writing or having the note sheet helpful to you, if at all? • Epistemological notes: • One student reported that writing down equations was something he learned in previous classes. Is this widespread? • The student who wrote out every equation found his strategy ineffective since “in physics, [equations]really don’t give you any information as to how to set up a problem.” Most others still found the cards useful. New modifications I gave a forum assignment to get students talking about note sheet preparation. In Spring 2014, I gave the Filmmakers students a pre-populated note sheet in advance containing equations. They could add what they wished to it, or rewrite it completely. Thought: It might help students focus study energy on other, more conceptual things. Fear: It may further focus them on equations! • Summary: • Providing equations on the note sheets disengaged my students from the studying process and focused attention on equations. • Additional changes are needed to make the online forum more effective and engaging.